Findings and recommendations of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Control Study Volume I are presented. The culmination of a year of intensive effort in which the study was designed and data collection and analysis conducted is evaluated, with focus on improvement of the Basic Grant Program. The introductory chapter discusses the background of this study emphasizing the limitations and scope of the control study and the basic organization of this volume. Chapter 2, the Basic Grant Cycle, presents an analysis of eligibility index and award errors keyed to the application cycle. Chapter 3, Institutional Feedback on BSFA Activities, examines data from institutional interviews, which focus on the problems, suggestions, and perceptions of postsecondary institutions regarding BSFA services. Chapter 4, Institutional Practices, deals with institutional procedures and practices, again based on interview data and school publications. A concluding section reviews student sector actions, institutional sector actions, and other actions. Comprehensive statistical data and tables are included, such as evaluation of application instructions, result of verification process, BSFA area desk experience, flow chart of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Program application and award process, and distribution of award errors. (LC)